The performance of activities (e.g., adjustments, modifications, editing, analysis etc.) relating to digital data is facilitated by many existing tools. Take, for example, the process of modifying a digital image by a user utilizing an image editing application. The user may make global image adjustments (e.g., the overall lighting and color balance of the global image is modified), or the user may elect to modify local regions of the digital image. After a global adjustment has been made, one object (or feature) of the image may be too dark and need to be lightened. A face of a person appearing in the digital image may be too saturated, or the user may desire to change the color hue of a flower, for example, from red to pink or purple.
One example of an image editing application is the ADOBE® PHOTOSHOP® image editing application, developed by Adobe System, Inc. of San Jose, Calif. The ADOBE® PHOTOSHOP® application provides a feature (or tool) called the Color Replacement Brush, which allows a user to create and save constant “brushes” with precise settings, including size, shape, tilt, spacing, scatter, jitter, etc. The ADOBE® PHOTOSHOP® application further provides so-called “Adjustment Layers,” which enable localized adjustment of an image.
The basic behavior of tools provided by the above-mentioned applications is, however, constant. Further, the behavior of such tools is dictated largely by parameter values that are provided by user input. The provision of such parameter values typically requires a deep understanding regarding various input dialog boxes, and the functioning and effects of various tools of an image editing application. This understanding may be lacking in, and in fact not required by, certain users. For example, certain users may utilize only a certain high-level functionality provided by an image editing application.
While image editing applications have traditionally been limited to applications that execute on a personal computer (e.g., a desktop or a laptop computer), the increasing popularity and availability of portable computing devices has led to the development of image editing applications for such portable devices (e.g., cellular telephones and Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs)). The desirability of having image editing applications which execute on portable computing devices has been increased by the incorporation of camera capabilities into portable computing devices. For example, a large number of cellular telephones and PDAs currently on the market have built-in cameras. Further, a number of these computing devices have the capability to store and display photographs received, for example, by email or from another computing device with which they can be synchronized. The users of such portable computing devices may, on occasion, wish to perform image editing operations with respect to images stored on a portable computing device.
The input of parameter values however becomes more difficult on smaller devices (e.g., Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) and cellular telephones). The display of easily navigable menus and interfaces, as may be displayed on a larger computer monitor, is more challenging when attempted on the relatively smaller screens of such devices. Further, the input mechanisms (e.g., keypads) of such smaller devices also present practical hurdles to the user input of parameter values to an application.